#vendor selection processes

[rajeshwaria]

The Key Steps in Vendor Selection: How to Pick the Perfect Partner for Success

Choosing the right vendor can have a significant impact on your business’s success. With an abundance of vendors providing similar services, selecting the right one can feel overwhelming. However, with a solid market intelligence strategy in place, you can streamline the process and make informed decisions that drive your business forward. This blog provides a comprehensive guide to the vendor selection process, helping you assess the key factors to consider when choosing a partner for your business.

Step 1: Understand the Vendor Selection Process

The first step in the vendor selection process is to understand the project’s requirements and define the selection criteria. These criteria should be based on your business’s needs and goals. Whether you're looking for an IT service provider, a procurement partner, or a software vendor, understanding what you need is essential for making an informed decision. A market intelligence strategy can help you gather data on potential vendors’ strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to select the best match for your business.

Step 2: Define Clear Requirements

Before you start searching for potential vendors, it’s crucial to define your project’s scope, budget, and timeline. This involves evaluating the project’s goals, understanding the resources needed, and considering any regulatory or compliance requirements. Once you have a clear grasp of what you need, you can move forward with the selection process.

For example, if you need a technology partner, you might need to define whether you require cloud-based solutions, cybersecurity services, or software development. The more specific you are about the project’s requirements, the better you will be able to evaluate vendors based on how well they align with your objectives.

Step 3: Research Potential Vendors

Once you have a clear understanding of your business’s needs, it's time to identify potential vendors. Use various sources, such as industry reports, online research, and recommendations from trusted colleagues, to build a list of suitable candidates. Leverage market intelligence tools to gather insights into vendors' market reputation, experience, and past performance.

Key factors to consider when researching vendors include:

Industry experience: Vendors who have experience in your specific industry are more likely to understand your needs and challenges.

Customer service standards: A reliable vendor should have excellent customer service to address any issues or concerns that may arise during the project.

Financial stability: Evaluate the vendor’s financial health to ensure they can meet your requirements without the risk of instability.

Reputation and track record: Look for vendors with a proven history of delivering quality services on time.

Step 4: Create Vendor Selection Criteria

After identifying potential vendors, it’s time to create a set of criteria that will guide your decision-making. These criteria should cover various aspects such as:

Experience and expertise: Does the vendor have a proven track record in delivering similar projects?

Quality of service: Is the vendor known for providing high-quality services consistently?

Pricing structure: Is the vendor’s pricing competitive, and does it offer value for money?

Delivery timelines: Does the vendor meet deadlines, or do they have a history of delays?

Developing clear and specific criteria will help you compare vendors more objectively. Additionally, creating a Request for Proposal (RFP) that outlines these criteria will allow vendors to submit detailed responses that align with your expectations.

Step 5: Evaluate Vendor Proposals

Once you have received vendor proposals, the next step is to evaluate them based on your selection criteria. This evaluation process should include:

Proposal analysis: Compare the proposals to determine which vendors meet the most criteria and offer the best value for money.

Interviews and meetings: Conduct interviews or meetings with potential vendors to gain further insights into their capabilities and approach.

Reference checks: Contact past clients to verify the vendor's performance, reliability, and ability to meet deadlines.

Use your market intelligence strategy to benchmark proposals against industry standards, which will help you assess whether the vendor is competitive and capable of meeting your needs.

Step 6: Negotiate Terms and Finalize the Deal

Once you've identified the best vendor for your project, the next step is to negotiate the terms of the contract. This is where careful planning is crucial. The contract should clearly outline:

Scope of services: Define the exact services the vendor will provide.

Pricing: Ensure that pricing is transparent and competitive.

Delivery timelines: Set clear deadlines for project milestones.

Payment terms: Agree on how and when payments will be made.

Service level agreements (SLAs): Define performance standards and penalties for non-compliance.

A strong negotiation process, backed by insights from your market intelligence strategy, will help ensure that you secure favorable terms and establish a mutually beneficial partnership.

Step 7: Monitor Vendor Performance

Once the vendor is selected and the contract is signed, it’s essential to monitor their performance throughout the project. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) will allow you to track progress and ensure that the vendor is meeting the agreed-upon objectives. Regular check-ins, performance reviews, and feedback sessions will help address any issues that arise and keep the project on track.

Key aspects to monitor include:

Timely delivery: Ensure that the vendor is meeting deadlines and providing deliverables as agreed.

Quality of work: Regularly assess the quality of services or products being delivered.

Customer satisfaction: Monitor how well the vendor addresses any issues or concerns raised by your team.

Step 8: Evaluate and Review Vendor Relationships

After the project is completed, it’s important to evaluate the overall relationship with the vendor. This assessment should cover factors such as:

Vendor performance: Did the vendor meet your expectations in terms of quality, delivery, and service?

Communication and collaboration: How effective was the communication between your team and the vendor throughout the project?

Long-term partnership potential: Is the vendor a good fit for future projects, or would you consider working with them again?

By reviewing the vendor relationship, you can gain insights into what worked well and identify areas for improvement, helping you optimize future vendor selection processes.

Strategic Advantages of a Thorough Vendor Selection Process

By following a comprehensive vendor selection process, businesses can achieve several strategic advantages, including:

Cost Efficiency: A thorough selection process helps businesses avoid hidden costs and ensure that they are getting the best value for money.

Quality Assurance: A robust evaluation ensures that vendors meet the required standards, improving the reliability of goods and services.

Risk Mitigation: By thoroughly vetting vendors, businesses can minimize the risk of delays, quality issues, and potential business disruptions.

Time Optimization: A streamlined vendor selection process reduces the time spent on finding and evaluating vendors, allowing businesses to focus on other priorities.

Regulatory Compliance: A structured approach ensures that vendors adhere to necessary legal and regulatory requirements, minimizing the risk of non-compliance.

By utilizing a market intelligence strategy, businesses can ensure that they are making the right vendor selection, setting the stage for long-term success.

Conclusion

In, the vendor selection process plays a crucial role in driving business growth and ensuring successful project execution. By following a systematic approach—one that incorporates market intelligence strategy—you can make well-informed decisions that benefit your organization in the long run. Whether you're selecting a technology partner or a service provider, a thoughtful, data-driven process will ensure that you choose the right vendor to help you achieve your goals.

For more information please contact

[mudassir-iqbal]

ERP Implementation Success: Key Steps for a Smooth Transition

Embarking on an ERP Implementation Success journey is both exciting and challenging for any organization. To achieve ERP Implementation Success, businesses must follow key steps, anticipate potential challenges, and apply effective strategies. From planning and vendor selection to data migration and training, this article explores the essential aspects of ERP implementation to ensure a smooth and…

[dead-end-draws]

WOF tribe Merchant/Trading booth concepts:

Hey folks! This one was the recent winner of this WOF poll, so here’s my concept art that headcannons trading in Pyrrhia.

Read below cut for close-ups of the individual booths + the thought process / headcannons behind the design choices: 👇

Skywings: The Sky Kingdom’s mountain ranges provide plenty of pasture for raising sheep. As such, Skywing shepherds benefit from traveling to sell their wool, dyes, fabric, and woven tapestries. Many of these merchant tables also include herbs grown exclusively in the mountains, or ibex drinking horns that can be strapped on a dragon’s shoulder & carried in flight.

Along with goods, Skywing merchants may offer sewing services to fix tears, burn marks, or other fabric damage. They are sought out for their quality clothing, and most fabric across Pyrria originated from a Skywing’s talons.

Mudwings: Mudwings’ abundant food & cooking skills are envied almost anywhere in Pyrrhia. Their swamps have fertile soil, responsible for hosting diverse crops which can be purchased as produce at merchant stalls. For those lucky enough to find a traveling Mudwing merchant, the promise of a delicious dish can be whipped up and served at the stall in no time. Along with produce goods, Mudwings sell weaved baskets, spices, and cooking ware.

Sandwings: Sandwing booths offer luxuries of the desert: It’s most common to find accessories such as gold carved jewelry or musical instruments such as drums, lyres, & mandolins for sale. Though, even more sought out across Pyrrhia is Sandwing tattoos/piercings, which are done within the merchant areas. Ink etchings on papyrus paper are stationed outside their tents to showcase designs. All which can be selected, and poked into the skin with a tapping stick and plant dye ink by a trained talon.

Seawings: SeaWings sell a variety of ocean related goods; taking a share in the fish market with Icewings. Outside of food, there are den decorations like driftwood carvings, accessories such as seashell & pearl jewelry, and rope nets weaved by expert Seawing sailors. Some Seawings even sell fishing equipment, canoes, or offer sailor knot tying instructions to curious dragon buyers.

Nightwings: During the war, it was near impossible to find a Nightwing merchant. Most refused to participate in merchant territory, mostly as a way to keep up with their tribe’s mysterious nature.

Though in the more shady, unground parts of the market you can buy from a huge selection of obsidian weaponry, the sharpest in Pyrrhia. No one knew initially how Nightwings smithed so many weapons, or why, until their secret volcano kingdom and the intention to invade the rainforest was discovered. Then forging armor & weapons became clear. Along with a vast armory, for the right price, some Nightwing merchants offer Prophecies & Nightwing Literature (not always guaranteed to always be reliable) and assassin services as well (very reliable).

Rainwings: Though Rainwings haven’t been part of Pyrrhia trading for years, they have a vast hold on dragon medicine. An apothecary of herbs, salves, and remedies are all offered for various ailments due to the rainforest’s abundant resources. Along with medicinal goods, many Rainwings are fruit vendors, promising to any hesitant meat-eating dragons that such an array of flavors isn’t to be missed. Though, their fruit selling pitches often fall flat to most other predominantly meat-eating tribes.

Icewings: Icewings have everything a dragon could need to brace the cold, with a selection of goods only found in the most frigid regions of Pyrrhia. Furs, bone jewelry, and fresh fish (thanks to frost breath) are served on ice. Though Icewings themselves don’t require fur to withstand the cold, it’s considered fashionable and common in upper ranks to wear fur as a status symbol. Since metal is hard to smith without fire & in cold temperatures, fur and bone are more accessible to Icewings for clothing statements.

[fireflowersims]

Sissysims' sins against the scenegraph

This is a small follow-up to my initial post covering the code theft commited by @sissysims. In that post, I presented my proof in the form of a YT video. While that video started off private, I decided to make it public for various reasons, which I will not outline in this post.

I first want to express my gratitude to all those who left comments, reblogged and liked my post. Your support means the world to us. I'm so happy that you as a community are so supportive in this. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to all of you. ♥️

Now, this post is going to focus on just one thing: her incompetence at object creation, because honestly, it's bad. It's really bad. It would feel immoral not to discuss it.

This is just a glimpse and for all you object creators out there: I'm warning you, it's graphic.

How to create an object for dummies.

So, this is the simplest explanation I can give on making a new object. This is the basic process you follow for basically most things you will make: open up SimPE, open up the Object workshop and press open. Select your file and choose "clone". Leave the settings alone, defaults are fine. Give your new object a nice name and description. Be sure to give it a unique object name. Now do all your visual modifications by modifying the existing scenegraph resources (GMDC, TXTR, etc) and give your object a new GUID (making sure to update MMAT's). Now fix integrity, save your file and done. You can test and preferably you'd also compressorize.

So what did sissysims do wrong?

Simply said: everything. I have reasons to believe she has never followed a basic object creation tutorial. The mistakes she makes are mistakes that can be avoided by actually learning how to clone an object. Here is a small summary:

Not cloning anything, instead copying the file she wants to modify and opening that in SimPE

Not changing the object name. I have never seen her touch the fix integrity button

Using other people's meshes and textures. How? By way of opening up their files, noting down the 3D Object Name, extracting the scenegraph resources (GMDC, GMND, CRES, SHPE, TXTR, TXMT, MMAT) and putting them inside the package she's modifying (and modifying the 3D Object Name in the original package). I have not seen her open up a GMDC file or import or export a mesh or texture. She does not modify any of these scenegraph files afterwards.

Not updating the MMAT's with new GUID

Not cleaning out unused resources (see: the scenegraph fuckery above)

Never fixing integrity.

Sadly, this is not just the case with my vendor. It is all her projects. This is how she creates objects: she has never learned the proper way to create objects and thus she steals other people's hard work instead.

Pictured: the instructions provided for messing up my vendor. Note how she specifically instructs to extract resources from your mesh source. Not export. No: extract.

Pictured: the results of said messed up procedure on another creation of hers. Note how the gmdc of her object is literally identical to the gmcd of Michelle's original mesh (only credited in a readme, not in the post itself)

Why is this an issue?

This is not just an issue of someone being bad at creating objects. This is someone teaching others this messed up method that comes down to stealing other people's work. I believe that this is actively damaging to our community and newcomers' skill development. Her video teaches people bad modding habits. Her video ENCOURAGES people to use this method to make fundamentally flawed, fundamentally dysfunctional objects.

She claims to be wanting to make modding more accessible, but this video of hers is not helping with that in any shape or form. You need to know what you're doing in order to teach someone and her object creation skills are below the level of someone who followed a tutorial ONCE.

Ya know, I could make a video teaching people Serbian. I don't know anything about that language. It's Slavic I guess. I don't even know how it's pronounced, but I sure as hell could tell people that whatever sequence of sounds is coming out of my mouth is Serbian. And that using my tutorial you can have nice conversations with Serbians! Doesn't mean I should though. It would be misrepresentative, offensive and actually damaging to anyone who is serious about wanting to learn Serbian. The same principle applies to sissysims teaching modding.

I want to learn how to make objects and mods tho!

Good news, there are a lot of great tutorials out there by people who do know what they're doing (unlike sissysims). For basic object creation I would highly recommend this tutorial by Azaya/ @skulldilocks at Garden of Shadows. It's the tutorial that got me started with objects and it has plenty of pictures. If you follow this tutorial, you will be ten times better at object creation than sissysims is

For BHAV modding there is no better place to start than Echo's tutorial. I can also highly recommend @midgethetree's resources page as well as all the useful information @picknmixsims has on his site.

What now?

I will keep working on even better vendor code, which I hope to get to a testable state very soon. It's clear that there's interest in this sort of object, and the new vendor base will allow for a lot of flexibility in gameplay. Once I get it to a good working state, I will make a tutorial on how to make your own: a tutorial that'll actually tell you the why. If you can clone objects (the proper way), you will be able to make a vendor.

Also, please don't engage with sissysims in her youtube comments, not even to "defend our honour" or to say something about the theft. She knows what she did and has presumably received a tumblr notification that I mentioned her (again).

I am sissysims and I don't like this

Well, you have a lot of nerve "teaching" people to mod when you clearly don't know what you're doing. I encourage you to stop stealing other people's work and educate yourself (see resources above).

[chaiwithmybeloved]

Pairing: Nanami Kento x reader.

Description: Hitting (on) a stranger with a shopping cart was not on your grocery list.

Word count: 1k

The lights in this grocery store are too warm for your liking.

Too warm, too dim. You suppose it goes well with the aesthetic of the brand but it's almost fucking impossible to check the fine print on the imported pistachio spread that you've been holding for the last 15 minutes.

You cannot risk buying something so expensive without knowing when it expires. You grimace at the amount of produce in your cart that's going to cost a chunk of your paycheck and put the jar back on the shelf saying a silent goodbye.

Steering the trolley to the front of the store, the angel on your shoulder scolds you for thinking it was good idea to visit a gourmet grocery store.

In your defense, this place wasn't your first choice either. The regular grocery store was 5 miles closer to your place and handed out amazing discounts too, but—

"You're not going to believe who I saw at S-Mart."

"Was it..." Adjusting the phone between your shoulder and ear, your frowned as the layer of purple nail polish smeared on the skin of your toe. "...your biochem crush?"

Your friend sighs, "I wish. It was your ex-situationship, though. Anyways, I hope you've blocked him..."

Her voice fades and the carpet is stained purple.

No. You couldn't risk running into him, even if that's all you've wanted. So, you drive— 20 minutes out of your way— to be as far as possible from the bittersweet memories of the ice cream isle.

You almost hit someone with your cart. Panic sets inside you. What if it's some rich snob who would set their lawyers on you like a pack of dogs? It wasn't your fault the wheels were wobbly!

"I'm so sorry," you bend quickly, to pick up the fruit that had slipped from their hand. As you stand straight, a pair of formal shoes, khaki pants, a half tucked blue shirt and a loose tie meets your eyes.

"It's alright," the smooth voice has you looking up faster than your brain can process. "No harm done." Thin lips, gentle crook of his nose where a pair of spectacles rest, hiding his beautiful brown, maybe a little tired, eyes.

The devil on your shoulder calls you an embarrassment. You hold out your hand and he takes the apple, adding it to his cart. "Thank you."

A number of wooden carts are arranged before you, each containing different colours and varieties of apples; Fuji, Gala, Honey crisp, Kashmir—

Reaching out for the Granny Smith, you're impressed with how big they are. Instinctively, you smell them: sweet yet tart.

You add one to your shopping cart, eager to go home and taste it. The last batch your vendor had brought were pathetic—

"Excuse me, would you mind picking them out for me. I can't tell the good one's apart." The man asks, showing you his selection. Small and weirdly round with red streaks.

"Calville Blanc?"

He nods, "I've read that they have a high amount of Vitamin C."

You try not to fall on your knees. Beautiful and intelligent? Maybe gourmet grocery stores weren't so bad after all.

"They do," you select a few from the paper bag and replace them with better quality ones. "But if you're looking for Vitamin C, citrus fruits are the best."

He doesn't reply. Not for a whole minute. "My son—"

Oh. OH.

The angel slaps her forehead. You wanted to suck off a married man!

He doesn't have a ring. The devil makes a fair point.

"—doesn't like oranges. Or anything orange flavored. I've been trying to get his Vitamin C levels up."

"Does he like lemonade?" You try to maintain a normal conversation. He looks pretty young to have a child.

"Yeah," The stranger nods. "Will that help?"

You nod and hands rest on the handle of your shopping cart, feeling dirty for lusting after a married man. "It would be more pocket friendly than spending...5,499 ¥— shit, that's pricey."

Great, now he thinks you're broke. Clumsy and broke.

The man laughs and you get a warm feeling in your stomach. "That was my first thought too."

Two of you make it to the check out counter, standing behind an older, definitely richer, woman. Her cart is full, to the brim and the cashier looks like they're in pain.

"How old is he?" You ask. The blond falls for the marketing gimmicks, taking a cartoon keychain off the rack.

"Turns six, soon."

"If he's fond of apples, you could buy regular ones and squeeze some lemon juice on them."

The man nods, "Thank you. He's a picky eater but—"

"Every child is."

"Exactly."

You move ahead in the line and the cashier is relieved to see your minimalist cart.

"You should try Golden Plate on 5th street." A shameless self promotion. "They have customisable kids menu."

"That would make things a lot easier. Apparently, he hates everything nutritious," He sighs. A notification on his phone goes off and you get to see a glimpse of a pink haired child, smiling brightly with a floating tube around under his little chubby arms.

"You seem to know a lot about kids," The man clears his throat, unsure how to phrase his words.

"I know a lot about food," you correct him, looking back. "Sometimes I make meals for my colleague's daughter, so I know how to hide the greens."

The word tumbles right out of his mouth. "How—"

The cashier clicks some buttons. "Your total is..."

It physically hurts you to pull out your wallet and hand over the card. A quick swipe and you're being handed your paper bags.

The cool AC air greets you at the exit doors. Should you wait for him? The stranger has an unfairly gorgeous side profile as he unloads the cart items. You almost smile at the heart eyes the cashier gives him.

He doesn't look your way and you walk towards the parking lot.

The sunset looks prettier, the air seems lighter and like some cheesy sitcom lead, you hope that you get to see him again.

(Spoiler: you do.)

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Gojo Satoru - "Harajuku Street Food"

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

In which a certain special-grade jujutsu sorcerer stops at a street vendor's stall that catches his attention with its heavenly scent and leaves with more than just a few purchased snacks. Or; In which when buying some snacks before meeting his three first-year students, Gojo Satoru successfully acquires the number of the cute vendor that runs the stall.

                                                                                                   

🍡•♡•🍢•♡•🍡•♡•🍢•♡•🍡•♡•🍢•♡•🍡•♡•🍢

"Hey there!"

A smooth but playful voice called, drawing your attention from the portable skillet in front of you.

Looking up, you're met with a very tall man with white hair, a customer surely. However, your attention is drawn to his face, or rather, to the black blindfold that covered his eyes and forehead. Even if you couldn't see half of his face, you could still tell that he was quite handsome.

Suddenly though, a hand appears in front of your eyes and snaps a few times, breaking you from your observation. The man had leaned forward while you were distracted, his face only inches away from your own now, his nose nearly touching your own.

"Ah! S‐sorry sir! Um, what would you like? There's a wide selection of goods to choose from."

You flinch backward, quickly trying to correct your unprofessional behavior by offering the man the usual customer greeting.

The blindfolded man lets out an attractive chuckle as he places a hand on his hip; you swear you could hear him mutter a quiet 'cute'. He then turns his attention to the medium-sized menu card that you had sat to the side; perusing his options. Though it seems like he didn't need to look long as he quickly turned his attention back to you.

"Right, I'll take everything."

He spoke with a curt nod, his voice still playful but with an underlying seriousness.

You stare at him for a while; unable to process quite what he meant. What did he mean by everything? One of everything or literally everything?

"Uh... One of everything?"

You asked him cautiously, becoming nervous at the thought of having your stall picked clean so early on in the day.

The man tilts his head at you, his smile shrinking a bit, and you can only assume that he must think that you're a bit slow on the uptake. But just as quickly as it shrunk, his smile grew wide again and his chipper attitude presented itself even more prominently.

"Nope! Everything you've got! Oh, I'll take your number too while I'm at it!"

He chirped, loosely crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned forward slightly, towering over you.

You feel your face heat up at his words; you've never met someone so bold before. Quickly, you turn around and bag up all of the inventory you have so far today. Ending up with six bags, you pull out a pen and turn back to him, seeing him leaning on the stall counter.

"Here you are sir; your total is ¥59,610.80. Both cash and card are acceptable."

You told him as you handed him his bags; gently grabbing one of his wrists.

The man tilts his head again, seemingly forgetting his earlier flirt, but you only lift the pen that you had grabbed. Pulling his wrist toward you, you write your number down on the heel of his palm; face warming even further at the fact that you're committing to it.

"M‐my number, you asked for it earlier so..."

You stuttered, looking away from him in embarrassment.

He chuckles, standing up to his full height and putting his free hand in his pocket. An attractive smirk spreads across his face as he turns to leave.

"I'll definitely call you some time, you're too cute~"

🍢•♡•🍡•♡•🍢•♡•🍡•♡•🍢•♡•🍡•♡•🍢•♡•🍡

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Masterlist!

[ckret2]

Ngl, the fact that one of your gravity falls OC's is just an asshole, beurocratic vending machine is something I admire. I aspire to have that kind of mind. How did you come up with THEM anyways?

When I was starting this post-Euclidean Massacre plot arc, I needed to populate several character roles: a hapless witness to the disaster who could call for help and give preliminary exposition on what happened, a representative from a disaster relief organization who could offer exposition on the vast scope of the disaster, a property inspector capable of offering exposition on the mechanics behind the disaster and propose physical solutions to it, and some kind of politician to give exposition on the wider social ramifications of how this disaster would effect the community. (The cops showed up later in the editing process.)

And then I decided I wanted to juxtapose the big feeling of cosmic significance against the small feeling of local town politics—we're not talking about a disaster that's hit a nation, or a state, or even a county, but a disaster that's hit one wall in one neighborhood—and contrast them talking like a wall has burned down against the knowledge that this "wall" is a whole universe. Show how vast the small things are to a mortal and how small the vast things are to a god. So if we're doing local politics, we need a local politician.

And that gave me "guy who got elected to the city council because he's rich so everyone knows him" "Karen who was president of the PTA so the other Karens in the neighborhood voted her into city council" vibes.

When I was physically designing these gods I asked readers to suggest some weird gods to interact with the Axolotl and the Time Giant I'd selected for engineer, and after some suggestions for like frogs and turtles to go with the axolotl I went guys we're talking WEIRD gods, we're looking for the opposite of thematic coherence, like look at the Henchmaniacs and how little most of their character concepts have to do with each other. And out of all the anons I got, the absolute best suggestion was a vending machine full of planets.

Who better than a god that can supply new worlds on demand to be on the cosmic city council and get sent out to a tragedy where there'd be billions, trillions, quadrillons of homeless refugees? The vending machine god immediately became VENDOR.

[wings-and-beskargam]

Since this response got out of hand, I'm giving it its' own post.

It's dangerous to ask a maker (artist?) about their processes @lonewolflupe @ulchabhangorm. But since you're curious, please accept my very first:

All of the pictured things were 3D printed by me on my FDM printer (Bambu Labs A1), including the teeny helmets. The non-helmet bits are pieces of Tech's armour. I'm currently building a Tech kit for 501st Legion approval. I "like" Crosshair and Scorch the most, but I am "most like" Tech. /sigh

I do! (Mostly) All of the armour parts of Archers' kit were 3D printed and finished by me on my FDM printer, with the exception of my pauldrons which were resin printed by someone else, but finished by me. I initially began making the kit for a Halloween costume, challenged by a coworker to a work-Halloween costume contest, but ended up meeting a couple vode from the Mando Mercs club (MMCC). I was invited (gently coerced?) to complete the kit to their standards and join the club. I'm in that process now, but still have a few things to finish before I gain Official Member status. 🙂

I made a lil' Boba candy bucket!!

3. I mostly print with PLA+. I can print with PETG, ABS, and other materials but my printer is running inside a spare room and I'm not set up with an enclosure or awesome ventilation yet to print with materials which off gas more toxic VOCs. Although PETG would be stronger for a buy'ce that is going to be worn PLA+ works just fine for most folks who are not in very hot conditions. (PLA will sag and melt in high heat) . The first time I wore my full kit, I was at work, and did a full day of fieldwork in it. The whole kit survived apart from one of the thrusters on my jetpack which I accidentally busted off while putting it back in the kit box (adhesive failure, I should have used hardware but I was in a rush to finish it before Halloween) . All fixed now! PLA would be just fine for printing teeny and/or decorative helmets. Just don't toss full size ones onto the floor off of a shelf (ask me how I know).

4. You can get STLs for clone helmets in all the places you'd expect (cults, thingiverse, etc) and from vendors on Etsy. Be careful, though, some of those files are stolen, and some are REALLY terrible and inaccurate. I usually avoid 'free' files, as for things as complex as helmets often end up being more costly in other ways, or are just not the quality I want. Galactic Armory has a nice selection of clone helmets (I have..... all of them. /embarrassment). Marko of Mystery Makers has really great Bad Batch (and other SW) helmets. He always tries to go a step beyond other modelers with his designs, both with functionality and accuracy. The Crosshair and RC helmet in my original post are both printed from Mystery Makers files. The RC helmet is the closest to the game design available, and the Cross helmet has a super cool functional rangefinder (like the different lenses are there and flip up and down, not just the whole rangefinder stalk moving). The Tech helmet is printed from Galactic Armory files, as are the rest (with the exception of Archers helmet which is AlterEgo, if I recall). The teeny helmets are printed from the full size files, just scaled down to 25%. I wouldn't' try to print these on an SLA/LCD resin printer, because the supports would be a nightmare I think, but it works just fine on an FDM printer. The most difficult part is printing the teeny greeblies for them which are super teeny at 25%. I almost always end up breaking the lil' rangefinder stalks, and am pretty sure I've lost the tusks for Rex's helmet more than once.

Cross WIP (Mystery Makers) with teeny (30%) Cross (Galactic Armory) 💙 Guess how many times I broke that teeny rangefinder stalk? Yeah. Four. 😖

Likewise, guess how many times I broke and lost the SUPER TEENY antennae on Tiny Tech's helmet? 😫

5. The visors in the full size helmets are generally welding/grinding replacement shields (Hobart brand, usually - available on Amazon). They are dark enough to obscure the wearers face and can be fairly easily cut to shape and installed. Tech's visor and goggle lenses are cut yellow acrylic, and in my original post still have the protective backing on them as they aren't 'officially' installed yet - which I why you can't see through them.

The visors for the full-size RC boys are more complicated. I believe the exact details of how I’ve been taught to do it are considered proprietary 🥺😏. To achieve the “Flirtation Mask” effect, two visors, a diffuser, and a strip of LEDs are installed in a very secret, not so secret, way. I’m working on a Scorch bucket, full size, and will have help to do this for the first time. Stay tuned. 😆 For the teeny helmets I use automotive window tint for the visors. It's easier to cut and bend into tiny shapes to fit inside the helmets. I got some blue stuff for the commando helmets, which should look cool once I install the lights. 😎

Teeny Gregor bucket WIP, with blue window tint FLIRTATION MASK 💙

6. The lil helmet stand under teeny Keeli (which I'm making for @eobe) is printed from a file from Galactic Armory. It's been through the ringer, because I use it to hold all the little helmets while I'm spray painting them and letting them cure. It did look nice when it was newer, and has the republic cog on the base. There is also a wall-mounted version which I have printed to hang Archer's helmet. I'll probably make more for the other helmets eventually.

7. VPLs (Visible Print Lines) are the enemy! As an MMCC member, it has been drilled into me that VPLs are evil and must be vanquished with extreme violence. I try to finish everything (with the exception of the flexi things people keep asking me to make) to an excellent standard with no VPLs - including the teeny helmets.

Raw Phase 1 (Animated) clone helmet and RC (Scorch) helmet). My printer does an excellent job, but still there are VPLs to be dealt with!

8. This question - how to get rid of VPLs could warrant it's own post. There are SO MANY techniques - some good, some NOT - but which ones you use depends largely on your print characteristics and what you intend to do with it. A lot of people lately have been recommending bathing the entire piece in a Bondo spot putty and acetone slurry several times until the lines are filled. I DO NOT recommend doing this for a piece that you intend to wear. I experimented with this and found out that after a small amount of wear the bondo likes to expel your paint in large chips, leaving ugly bondo-red spots behind. It would probably work ok for decorative pieces though. Other people have used UV curing resin to coat pieces to fill VPLs. It works, but UGH that stuff is toxic to touch and breathe, and it needs to be properly washed and cured, and cured some more. It's also much more difficult to sand than automotive body work products (which in all fairness are also toxic to breathe and touch - WEAR YOUR PPE).

My general process for armour pieces is to remove supports and then roughly sand (120 grit) only the really rough spots (like things that were overhangs or had a lot of supports). Sanding happens with a combination of sanding papers, sanding sticks, and needle files - depending on the piece. I then adhere pieces together (if they were printed in pieces like some of the larger full-size helmets) with plastic bonder. Seams are filled with Bondo plastic metal or EverCoat depending on the piece and I often plastic weld and staple the inside for strength. The seams are then sanded smooth. After I'm happy with the smoothness of the seams the entire piece will get 2-3 coats of automotive high-build filler primer (from a rattle can, though I have used the 1:4 mix stuff and brushed it on - I'd only recommend this with a large piece as that stuff REALLY fills things in quick - including the things you don't want it to) and a wet sand to 320 grit. At this point most of the print lines are filled, but stubborn areas, such as the top of the dome may still necessitate more coats. I generally end up applying 5 coats of filler primer, wet sanding between them. Following the final coat of filler primer, I'll wet sand again to about 400 grit (much more if we're going for the Beskar finish which needs a SUPER SMOOTH finish to work) and then put on a coat of regular primer. Black for helmets that will be dark (Most of the CF99 boys), and white for the other clone helmets. At this point they should be completely VPL free and ready for greebly installation and the "real" paint job. This process takes me at least a few days on full-size helmets as the paints have to cure between sanding and reapplication, and painting has to happen outside in good conditions. It's not inexpensive, but it is the most efficient and long-lasting way to do it, in my experience.

Cross helmet WIP. You can see the seam just under the visor cut out. This one printed in three pieces and needed ALL the seam filling and sanding. The pinkish and grey stuff are body fill products to fill in rough spots and seam lines. If you look at the last photo - of the same helmet - you can see they did a decent job of hiding that there was a seam. 😊

9. I use a lot of automotive products and paint. Since all my full size helmets are mean to be worn they need to be finished to a fairly high standard and be relatively tough. Archer's helmet body was finished entirely with Rustoleum brand filler primer and four layers of metallic paints (all rattle cans). The blue on the front was a Montana brand acrylic rattle can, and the copper parts (ear caps, rangefinder stalk) were enamel paint (Alclad copper) airbrushed on. The weathering - chips and scratches - were achieved by layering on a liquid latex medium between coats, so that when it was peeled off it revealed small bits of the coats beneath. It gives the damage a more realistic look than painting silver 'scratches' on after the fact. This liquid latex medium can be used to give the paint applied to clone helmets the chipped look to their painted designs as seen in the animation. It's a little more challenging to do in small scale though. After all the top coat paints are applied, I'll seal them in with a clear layer of satin or gloss sealant (rattle can). After that, I'll go over the entire piece with an acrylic black wash to make it look "dirty" and worn. 😅. After all that process, padding, visors, and electronics (HUD lights, fans, voice amps) are installed if needed. The whole thing is pretty time-consuming. I now understand why quality finished helmets cost as much as they do. My teeny helmets are all finished as I described above in the VPL section, but I use acrylics hand-painted on with a brush to apply the designs. In the animation versions of these helmets, particularly in TBB, the helmets all look like they've been (roughly) hand painted, so this technique works ok, I think. I apply the chipping and weathering at edges with dry brushing acrylics. I could apply a liquid latex mask and airbrush them, but eh. I'm using these little guys as fairy light "lanterns". They're super cute with the light showing a bit through the visors, particularly Tech. :)

The Teeny Batch boys that I've got finished. Echo is coming, he just needs his top coat and weathering. :D

Lil' Keeli almost finished, with his unfinished rangefinder. Have not broken the stalk yet! /cheer 🎉

10. Acrylics brand? Hmm... I've used the Montana Gold rattle can acrylics which some of the MMCC mandos seem to like. I'm not sure if the ones I got were duds, but I wasn't super impressed. The cans did a lot of spitting and messed up my paint a few times. My brush on acrylics are Liquitex or Golden. Both can be thinned and airbrushed, and are more costly than cheap crafting brands but are more highly pigmented and last longer (plus the finish is nicer).

11. Base colour is whatever primer I finish with - white or black, depending on what color the final piece will be. For Mando helmets, the base colour is a metallic silver, so that when I peel off the liquid latex layers, the pint chips down to “bare metal/beskar”. Since clone helmets are plastioid, the base colour for them remains white or black.

12. I finish with a rattle can sealant. Satin finish usually, but that depends on the look you want. Always try to stick with the same brand of primer, paint, and sealant. Different brands have different chemistry - accelerants and so on, and can, and often do react with one another. The frustration of having to sand down a piece that was almost finished cannot be described.

To avoid paint heartache, always also paint in good conditions. Temperature, humidity, wind, etc can all ruin you day and paint job. Please also always wear your PPE!

13. Are they? I hope they are. They sure are a labour of love, and much work - but it makes me happy to make them and to look at them. 😅

I'm very fond of Archer's buy'ce, and the whole kit really. It was the first one I 'finished' (every mando's kit is an ongoing WIP - forever), and the process of making it kept me focused on something positive during a rough time in my life. Wearing it is super fun! Ibic Manda!

WOW that got lengthy, so sorry! I had ALL the questions when I started, and a lot of the info you need is hard to find or in bits and pieces all over the internet. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I can only share my experience, but I have spent a huge amount of 2024 working on these for what that's worth. 🫣

[lavenderprose]

I was tagged by @emmg to do the first line/first page/whatever thing so HERE. I'm angry at my main WIP so I won't be posting that one but here's some nonsense I started writing on vacation. Woe, vaguely modernish AU wedding be up ye.

--

Rook’s dress is long and beaded and everything she’s ever wanted or envisioned for her wedding. Emmrich, in that subtle yet insistent way of his, had made it so. He, it should be said, is in a no less elaborate outfit; dark purple, dripping in gold, a gorgeous silk sash wrapped around his middle and ornamental chains dangling from every conceivable part of him. The music he makes as he walks almost upstages the pianist. If Rook wasn’t already in love with him, this would be the tipping point.

Emmrich, however, conspicuously does not have a cathedral-length train to contend with. Very early on in the picture-taking process, they’d decided that the best way to tackle the situation was to keep Rook in the middle as a kind of central axis around which everyone else revolved. She stands between two massive flower arrangements and they cycle through all of the group photos with all the proficiency that the photographer’s hefty price point would imply.

They place Emmrich next to her and she looks at him like the new sun in her solar system and he looks at her like he never knew daylight before he looked into her eyes, and the photographer has to clear his throat three times before they realize it’s time for Emmrich to inch carefully around the train, yes Professor, thank you, we’ll get you back to your bride as soon as possible—okay, first group—

The first group is the girls. Neve, Bellara, Harding. They surround Rook in a warm gaggle, pet her hair and coo. Harding says she’s stunning while squeezing both of her hands, giddiness audibly bubbling in her throat. Bellara showers kisses over her face, overwhelmed with happiness. Neve softly, carefully arranges Rook’s hair at the most tasteful angle and fiddles at the chains around her neck—selected by Emmrich, of course; a funeral dowery fit for a bride—until they lay precisely, and these touches are just as affectionate as Bellara’s kisses.

“Okay, thank you, ladies,” says the photographer, loudly, because he’s learned his lesson. His vendor’s fee is in the five digits and he is exceptional at his job. “Groomsmen next, please.”

Davrin and Lucanis glue themselves to her, each winding an arm around her waist. Taash, who stood with the boys to even the numbers, positions themself behind her and asks what they should do with their hands.

“FLEX,” Harding says from off to the side. A table has been set up with snacks and drinks for those missing the cocktail hour, i.e. the wedding party. Harding has champagne in her hand, something bonkers expensive and authentically Orlesian

[getintheholezine]

YOU, YES YOU, CAN MAKE A ZINE! PART 3

Part 2 can be found here: https://www.tumblr.com/getintheholezine/772970460218638336/you-yes-you-can-make-a-zine-part-2

Can I do this by myself?

A small, simple zine can easily be run by one person, especially if you're not handling money and wrangling vendors and packaging shipments. I recommend trying a solo zine before expanding to one that requires a team of editors – or, as they're known in fandom, “mods.”

Even if you're the only mod, you probably don't want to be the only contributor. Zines usually include quite a few artists and authors.

How do you find contributors?

Ideally, you are already in regular contact with around a dozen people who are into the same thing you're into and make cool fanworks. A Discord server is one example of this. And then you just… invite them!

If you don't have a stable of fans at the ready, you can invite strangers to join in. Post about your idea on social media and see who responds, or approach fan creators you don't know but admire and ask if they'd be open to joining in.

Larger zines typically do a formal interest check, publishing a form people fill out to indicate that they'd consider buying or contributing to the project. This may not be necessary for a smaller zine, especially if you're not worried about needing a minimum number of orders.

Should I be selective in choosing my contributors?

Big zines typically have an application process, and may not invite everyone who applies. They may pick and choose based on whose work they like the most, who they know to be reliable, or whose style goes with the theme of the zine. They may also set a maximum number of contributors, based on concerns about complexity and cost.

A major advantage of a digital-only zine is not having to worry about cost constraints on the size of your zine. Invite as many contributors as you like! And a major advantage of a free zine is not having to worry the zine is too small to be worth paying for. Invite as few contributors as you like! With something free and digital, last-minute flaking isn't as much of a problem as it is on a print, cost-covering zine, so you can take a chance on someone you don't know and trust.

What info do potential contributors need?

Potential contributors should know:

What the zine is about

The type of contributions you want

Whether it's digital or physical

If it's physical, what the format will be (e.g. booklet, softcover, hardcover)

Whether it's free, charity, or cost-covering

If money is involved, how money will be handled

If charity is involved, which charity gets donations

The planned timeline of the project

Your zine background (and admit if you're a first-timer; everyone starts somewhere!)

How to keep in touch with you

Coming soon: Part 4!

[daleeltrading]

How the Right Supplier Can Improve Your Panel Assembly Workflow

In the competitive world of electrical panel manufacturing, time, consistency, and precision are everything. A well-organized panel assembly workflow can be the difference between hitting deadlines and losing contracts. But one often-overlooked factor in achieving operational efficiency is this:

The right supplier isn’t just a vendor — they’re a strategic partner. In this blog, we’ll break down how the right supplier can directly enhance your panel assembly workflow, reduce friction in operations, and elevate your entire production process.

1. Ensuring Reliable Component Availability

Panel assembly often stalls because of component shortages. When you’re missing critical parts — like circuit breakers, contactors, or terminal blocks — your line goes idle.

A dependable supplier:

· Maintains ready stock of high-demand components

· Offers real-time inventory updates

· Provides just-in-time (JIT) delivery

This ensures your team always has what it needs, minimizing production downtime and keeping your project timelines on track.

Impact: Faster production starts, fewer delays, better throughput.

2. Simplifying the Procurement Process

Juggling multiple vendors for various panel parts creates complexity — multiple orders, invoices, and deliveries. It eats up time your team could spend on value-added tasks.

A smart supplier partner:

· Consolidates a wide range of panel components

· Offers bundled BOM support

· Provides a single point of contact for all orders

This streamlined approach reduces your procurement overhead, lowers admin costs, and frees up your internal resources.

Impact: Faster ordering, reduced paperwork, smoother coordination.

3. Improving Product Selection and Compatibility

Choosing the wrong component — even slightly incompatible — can lead to rework, panel redesign, or even failures in the field. That’s a major risk to quality and your brand.

A technically capable supplier:

· Understands your electrical panel design and specs

· Guides you on compatible, compliant components

· Helps you select cost-effective alternatives when needed

With expert support, your team avoids costly errors and gets it right the first time.

Impact: Better accuracy, fewer mistakes, higher quality output.

4. Reducing Lead Times Through Local Sourcing

Global supply chains can be unreliable — delays at ports, shipping bottlenecks, and customs hold-ups all hurt your workflow.

A locally positioned supplier:

· Sources and stocks components closer to your facility

· Offers same-day or next-day delivery

· Bypasses import-related delays

This leads to shorter lead times, more predictable schedules, and the ability to react quickly to urgent needs.

Impact: Agile production schedules, improved customer responsiveness.

5. Supporting Scalable Growth

As your panel-building business grows, your workflow complexity increases. You’ll need a supplier that can scale with you.

A growth-ready supplier:

· Keeps track of your recurring BOM patterns

· Prepares for larger, scheduled orders

· Offers credit terms or inventory reserves for long-term customers

Instead of being reactive, you can plan your production proactively — without worrying about supply issues.

Impact: Smooth scaling, reduced bottlenecks, confident expansion.

6. Providing Value-Added Services

Beyond just selling products, great suppliers offer services that make your workflow leaner:

· Pre-kitting: All components bundled per job

· Labeling and part tagging

· Custom panel parts or DIN rail assemblies

· Training on new product integration

These extras can shave hours off assembly time and improve jobsite or factory efficiency.

Impact: Leaner processes, faster panel builds, lower labor costs.

Conclusion: Suppliers Are Part of Your Workflow Strategy

Your workflow is only as strong as its weakest link — and for many panel builders, that weak link is a slow or unreliable supplier.

At Daleel Trading, we go beyond supplying components. We

Stock what you need

Deliver when you need it

Support you with technical know-how

And grow with your business

The right supplier doesn’t just deliver products — they deliver productivity.

Ready to streamline your panel assembly workflow?

Contact Daleel Trading today to discover how we can simplify your sourcing, boost your efficiency, and help you build better panels — faster.

[aquamarixx]

any chance youll make a good ending version of the klark fic i almost lost my eyes bawling

ghost of you

If there's anything you taught Klarkstella, it's that some strangers leave marks on your life in ways you never expect.

‎‧₊˚✧ EVER AFTER 2025 ENTRY ✧˚₊‧ pairing klarkstella x reader word count 1.5k words tags under the same sky afterstory, named prev y/n Seren, hurt/comfort navigation

Grief has a cruel sense of humor.

Just when Klark thinks he’s moved on, grief hits him like a burst of a dying star, shaking him back to the reality that he still isn’t over Seren, his aide who died. 

In short, he’s in denial. 

He’s gone through the motions, the seven stages of grief ticking by like clockwork, but he never truly processed any of it. Not one bit. He thought maybe talking to the asters in the castle gardens was enough therapy, his way of keeping Seren close.

But turns out, it wasn’t.

The scent of freshly baked bread wafts in the air as he walks through the flea market with Louter and Myunna.

Myunna perks up at the smell, already eager to drag them toward the source, but Klark barely registers it.

It wasn’t the smell of baked goods that catches him off guard. 

It was your laughter, your voice. 

His breath catches in his throat. His body stiffens before he even realizes why. Then he moves quickly, his head snapping toward the sound, the slight panic visible in his eyes as he looks for the source of that melodic laughter.

And then he sees you.

The owner of a humble baked goods stall, nestled between artisan vendors, smiling so brightly your eyes crinkle at the edges—just like hers.

His feet drags him before he can think.

One moment, he’s walking with Louter and Myunna. The next, he’s standing in front of your stall, frozen in place. You don’t look like Seren. Not at all. But something about you that reminds him of her.

The way you smile, the way laughter spills from your lips so effortlessly, the air around you. All of it reminds him of her.

It’s been months since Seren vanished like stardust in the wind, but standing here now—staring at you—it feels like no time has passed at all. Like she’s right here.

Watching. Smiling. Existing.

And then you turn to him.

“Hi! Would you like to try our baked goods?” you offer, your voice warm, lighthearted.

You don’t seem bothered by the way he’s looking at you like you’re a ghost.

Klark doesn’t respond. Can’t respond. His throat feels tight and his lungs unwilling to cooperate.

Myunna appears at Klark’s side, tugging at his sleeve with concern. “Klark?”

Still, he doesn’t move.

Your smile falters slightly, curiosity flickering in your eyes at his odd reaction. The silence grows heavier, stretching too long.

Sensing the shift, Louter clears his throat and steps forward, offering a polite, easy smile.

“Hello. Could we get three of these, please?” he asks, his voice cutting through the tension in the air.

You brighten again, nodding as you move to prepare their order.

When you finally hand over the pastries, Klark reaches for them absentmindedly. His fingers brush against yours, featherlight.

But in that instant, he swears he stops breathing.

After that first encounter, he finds himself returning to your stall.

It’s not intentional. At least, that’s what he tells himself.

He has no reason to be here but somehow, he always ends up in front of your display, hands in his pockets, staring at the selection with feigned interest.

Whatever he buys, he rarely eats. Instead, Louter and Myunna are the unwitting recipients of his purchases, their reactions a mix of confusion and delight whenever Klark brings them the treats.

And no matter how many times he visits your stall, he still doesn’t have the courage to speak beyond polite exchanges—"What would you like today?"—a question he never really knows how to answer.

But eventually, you notice him.

The quiet, brooding man who always buys something, despite never eating it himself. You start to greet him beyond the usual pleasantries, nudging past the rigid boundaries he sets. 

Small talk. Casual remarks. Meaningless little comments about anything and everything.

At first, he doesn’t know what to do with them.

Then, one day, you laugh. A sound so familiar, so achingly reminiscent of someone he lost, that it knocks the air from his lungs.

It terrifies him.

He tells himself it’s just nostalgia. That he’s simply looking for remnants of her in you, small fragments to fill the empty spaces left behind. Just enough to soothe the regret. Just enough to make the longing bearable. Just enough to satiate the feelings brewing inside.

And Klark finds himself wanting to know more.

He doesn’t notice it at first, but he starts bringing you asters. 

An unconscious habit, mirroring the way Seren used to leave them by his workstation, insisting they brightened up the room.

Maybe, in the back of his mind, some desperate, foolish part of him hopes you’ll recognize them as if you're Seren. That something will shift. That maybe, just maybe, you’ll remember.

But deep down, he knows that’s not possible.

Still he keeps trying. Keeps showing up. Keeps searching for her in you.

Louter notices. Of course he does. He sees not just the longing but also the desperation in Klark’s eyes. But he does nothing to intervene.

After all, the stars have already told him—one can only truly accept reality once they witness the absurdity of their own actions.

And so, Louter lets Klark be. 

The night air is crisp as you and Klark stroll through the peaceful town plaza. The streets glow under the warm lantern lights.

You talk about the stars. About the vastness of the sky. About the endless stretches of the Blue Continent—the world he has sworn to protect.

It’s nostalgic, if not bittersweet. The conversation flows so naturally, yet each word feels like stepping into the past. He’s had this exact conversation before with Seren. The way your voice lilts in curiosity, the way you gaze at the sky with wonder—it all reminds him of her.

And then you speak, your voice softer now, almost wistful.

"Do you ever wonder if we've met in another lifetime?"

Klark stops walking.

The moonlight spills over you, painting you in its glow, your skin luminous like starlight. And for a single, devastating moment, he sees Seren standing before him. Before she faded into dust.

His chest tightens. Then the tears come.

He doesn't even realize he's crying until the warmth streaks down his cheeks, his vision blurring.

And suddenly, everything crashes down at once.

He’s not over her. He never was. And you are not her.

No matter how much he projects Seren onto you, no matter how desperately he’s clung to the past, this isn’t right. This isn’t fair.

Because you are you.

And you—in your own way, in your own existence—are amazing.

Panic flashes across your face as you see Klark unravel before you, tears slipping soundlessly, lips trembling as if he’s moments away from breaking completely.

"Klark," you whisper, stepping forward carefully. "What's wrong?"

Your hand hovers between you, hesitant. He doesn’t move. His eyes squeeze shut as if trying to gather himself but he can’t.

And before he can say anything, you embrace him.

You hold him close, arms wrapping around his tense frame, as if reassuring him that he doesn’t have to carry this alone.

And that does it.

His walls, all carefully built, meticulously reinforced, all comes crumbling down.

The weight of it all, the grief, the longing, the guilt, it crashes over him in full force, and unlike before, he allows himself to feel it this time.

He knows he will never fully forget Seren. How could he? 

She left a mark too deep, too permanent to ever fade. 

She’s in the quiet mornings at the castle. In the silence of his workshop. In the asters in the garden.

And somehow, in you, too.

Klark sees you off.

He knew this day would come. You were never meant to stay.

You are a travelling merchant after all. And yet, it still stings.

But what he doesn’t expect is your parting words.

“I really enjoyed my time here,” you say, smiling at him. “Not just in the kingdom, but with you.”

His breath catches.

You don’t know what those words do to him. How they press into his chest, aching but warm.

But before he can respond, you continue, your gaze lifting to the endless stretch of sky above.

“Maybe we’ll meet again someday. Who knows?” You chuckle softly. “Because no matter how far we are from each other… we’re still bound. Connected. Living under the same sky.”

The same words. The same sentiment. But this time, they come from you.

And this time, it doesn’t break him.

It doesn’t send him spiraling into grief. It doesn’t make him feel like he’s chasing the shadow of something already lost.

Instead, it settles into him like the warmth of the sun.

He looks at you, standing there in the golden morning light, not like stardust slipping through his fingers.

And so, he lets the wind carry his words. His feelings.

“…Thank you,” Klark murmurs. Not for reminding him of Seren. But for being you.

For showing him that he doesn’t have to forget the past to move forward. That letting go isn’t the same as losing.

You give him one last smile before turning away, footsteps steady as you walk toward your next adventure.

Klark doesn’t call you back. He doesn’t stop you.

Some things aren’t meant to stay.

But as he watches you disappear into the horizon, he tilts his head back toward the sky you both share.

And for the first time in a long while, it doesn’t feel so empty.

amarips: hi anon! i wanna say that this is a good ending for klark despite it being bittersweet. it took me a while before i was able to work on this but i hope you like it! anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave a reply or drop an ask or even a request! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

taglist: @inu1gf

[usafphantom2]

The F/A-XX 6th Generation Fighter Announcement That Never Happened

ByKris Osborn4 hours ago

F/A-XX Fighter from U.S. Navy

The Pentagon, the Navy, the aerospace industry, and much of the world closely watch the US Navy’s ongoing source selection for the 6th-Gen F/A-XX carrier-launched fighter. Due to the program’s secrecy, little information is available. It was supposed to occur days ago according to some solid reporting. So why the delay?

The F/A-XX Fighter: When Is the Big Reveal?

F/A-XX Fighter for US Navy

F/A-XX Fighter for US Navy. Navy graphic mockup.

Weapons developers, the defense community, and the public anticipate the expected announcement, and some might wonder why the decision is taking so long. The program is expected to move into Milestone B and transition to the well-known Engineering, Manufacturing, and Design (EMD) phase at some point this year, and only Boeing and Northrop Grumman remain alive in the competition.

Boeing is famous for the F/A-18 Super Hornet and was, of course, just selected for the Next-Generation Air Dominance F-47 6th-gen Air Force plane. Northrop is known for building the F-14 Tomcat.

Both companies have extensive experience engineering carrier-launched fighter jets, and both vendors are doubtless quite experienced with stealth technology.

It may be that Northrop has an edge with stealth technology, given its role in generating a new era of stealth technology with the B-21 and its history of building the first-ever stealthy carrier-launched drone demonstrator years ago called the X-47B.

Extensive Evaluation

Navy and defense evaluators will examine key performance specs such as speed, stealth effectiveness, thrust-to-weight ratio, fuel efficiency, aerial maneuverability, and lethality, yet there is an entire universe of less prominent yet equally significant additional capabilities that Navy decision-makers will analyze.

Requirements and proposal analysis for a program of this magnitude are extensive and detailed, as they often involve computer simulations, design model experimentation, and careful examination of performance parameters.

The process is quite intense, as the evaluation carefully weighs each offering’s technological attributes and areas of advantage against determined requirements. Requirements are painstakingly developed as Pentagon weapons developers seek to identify what’s referred to as “capability gaps” and then seek to develop technologies and platforms capable of closing those capability gaps by solving a particular tactical or strategic problem.

F/A-XX Fighter

F/A-XX Fighter. Image Credit: Boeing.

Navy developers likely envision a 6th-generation, carrier-launched stealth fighter as a platform capable of closing or addressing many capability gaps.

While little is known about the program for security reasons, the intent is likely to combine F-22-like speed and maneuverability with a new generation of stealth ruggedized for maritime warfare and carrier deck operations. Carriers are now being configured with special unmanned systems headquarters areas designed to coordinate drone take-off and landing.

This station requires deconflicting air space, accommodating wind and rough sea conditions, and ensuring a successful glide slope onto a carrier deck.

As part of a 6th-gen family of systems, the F/A-XX will be expected to control drones from the cockpit, conduct manned-unmanned teaming operations, and take-off-and-land in close coordination with drones.

Networking & AI

Boeing and Northrop have extensive drone-engineering experience and mature AI-enabled technologies. The Navy is likely closely looking at networking technologies. Each vendor platform must conduct secure data collection, analysis, and transmission to ensure time-sensitive combat information exchange.

This requires interoperable transport layer communication technologies to interface with one another in the air in real-time.

For example, the platform best able to successfully gather and analyze time-sensitive threat information from otherwise disparate sensor sources, likely enabling AI at the point of collection, will be best positioned to prevail in a competitive down-select.

F/A-XX. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The F/A-XX will not only need to connect with each other but also network successfully with F-35s and 4th-generation aircraft and ship-based command and control.

This connectivity will likely require gateway applications. These computer technologies are engineered to translate time-sensitive data from one transport layer to another.

Key targeting data may arrive via a radio frequency (RF) data link. At the same time, other information comes from GPS, and a third source of incoming data transmits through a different frequency or wireless signal.

How can this information be organized and analyzed collectively to a complete, integrated picture and delivered instantly as needed at the point of attack?

This is where AI-enabled gateways come in, and the vendor most successfully navigates these technological complexities will likely prevail.

About the Author: Kris Osborn

Kris Osborn is Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

@Johnschmuck via X

[mariacallous]

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is paying software company Palantir $30 million to provide the agency with “near real-time visibility” on people self-deporting from the United States, according to a contract justification published in a federal register on Thursday. The tool would also help ICE choose who to deport, giving special priority to “visa overstays,” the document shows.

Palantir has been an ICE contractor since 2011, but the document published Thursday indicates that Palantir wants to provide brand-new capabilities to ICE. The agency currently does not have any publicly known tools for tracking self-deportation in near real-time. The agency does have a tool for tracking self-reported deportations, but Thursday’s document, which was first reported by Business Insider, does not say to what degree this new tool may rely on self-reported data. ICE also has “insufficient technology” to detect people overstaying their visas, according to the Department of Homeland Security. This is particularly due to challenges in collecting "biographic and biometric" data from departing travelers, especially if they leave over land, according to Customs and Border Protection.

The agency says in the document that these new capabilities will be under a wholly new platform called the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System, or ImmigrationOS. Palantir is expected to provide a prototype of ImmigrationOS by September 25, 2025, and the contract is scheduled to last at least through September 2027. ICE’s update to the contract comes as the Trump administration is demanding that thousands of immigrants “self-deport,” or leave the US voluntarily.

ICE and Palantir did not respond for comment.

According to the document, ImmigrationOS is intended to have three core functions. Its “Targeting and Enforcement Prioritization” capability would streamline the “selection and apprehension operations of illegal aliens.” People prioritized for removal, ICE says, should be “violent criminals,” gang members, and “visa overstays.”

Its “Self-Deportation Tracking” function would have “near real-time visibility into instances of self-deporation,” the document says. The document does not say what data Palantir would use for such a system, but ICE says it aims to “accurately report metrics of alien departures from the United States.” The agency stipulates that this tool should also integrate with “enforcement prioritization systems to inform policy” but does not elaborate on these systems or policies.

Meanwhile, the “Immigration Lifecycle Process” function would streamline the “identification” of aliens and their “removal” from the United States, with the goal of making "deportation logistics” more efficient.

In a “rationale” section, ICE claims that it has an “urgent and compelling” need for ImmigrationOS’s capabilities. Without them, ICE claims, it would be “severely” limited in its ability to target the gangs MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, and abide by President Donald Trump’s executive order to expedite deportations.

Palantir, ICE claims, is “the only source that can provide the required capabilities and prototype of ImmogrationOS [sic] without causing unacceptable delays.” ICE says the company has developed “deep institutional knowledge of the agency’s operations over more than a decade of support.”

“No other vendor could meet these timeframes of having the infrastructure in place to meet this urgent requirement and deliver a prototype in less than six months,” ICE says in the document.

ICE’s document does not specify the data sources Palantir would pull from to power ImmigrationOS. However, it says that Palantir could “configure” the case management system that it has provided to ICE since 2014.

Palantir has done work at various other government agencies as early as 2007. Aside from ICE, it has worked with the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Internal Revenue Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. As reported by WIRED, Palantir is currently helping Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) build a brand-new “mega API” at the IRS that could search for records across all the different databases that the agency maintains.

Last week, 404 Media reported that a recent version of Palantir’s case-management system for ICE allows agents to search for people based on “hundreds of different, highly specific categories,” including how a person entered the country, their current legal status, and their country of origin. It also includes a person’s hair and eye color, whether they have scars or tattoos, and their license-plate reader data, which would provide detailed location data about where that person travels by car.

These functionalities have been mentioned in a government privacy assessment published in 2016, and it’s not clear what new information may have been integrated into the case management system over the past four years.

This week’s $30 million award is an addition to an existing Palantir contract penned in 2022, originally worth about $17 million, for work on ICE’s case management system. The agency has increased the value of the contract five times prior to this month; the largest was a $19 million increase in September 2023.

The contract’s ImmigrationOS update was first documented on April 11 in a government-run database tracking federal spending. The entry had a 248-character description of the change. The five-page document ICE published Thursday, meanwhile, has a more detailed description of Palantir’s expected services for the agency.

The contract update comes as the Trump administration deputizes ICE and other government agencies to drastically escalate the tactics and scale of deportations from the US. In recent weeks, immigration authorities have arrested and detained people with student visas and green cards, and deported at least 238 people to a brutal megaprison in El Salvador, some of whom have not been able to speak with a lawyer or have due process.

As part of its efforts to push people to self-deport, DHS in late March revoked the temporary parole of more than half a million people and demanded that they self-deport in about a month, despite having been granted authorization to live in the US after fleeing dangerous or unstable situations in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela under the so-called “CHNV parole programs.”

Last week, the Social Security Administration listed more than 6,000 of these people as dead, a tactic meant to end their financial lives. DHS, meanwhile, sent emails to an unknown number of people declaring that their parole had been revoked and demanding that they self-deport. Several US citizens, including immigration attorneys, received the email.

On Monday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s move to revoke people’s authorization to live in the US under the CHNV programs. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called the judge’s ruling “rogue.”

[catwingsthespatula]

1) Which religion/spiritual path do you identify with?

6) Do you have lots of religious paraphernalia?

8) What is your favourite passage from your sacred text, if you have one?

Thank you for the asks!

I am a Christian! Anything more specific than that I'm still in the process of discerning--I converted three years ago, found and was baptized in a local Episcopal church, currently attend both that church and a non-denominational but vaguely charismatic church (deeply involved with both communities), and am investigating Catholicism. If anyone asks, though, I'm a Christian, and I don't necessarily want to get more specific than that at this time.

6. Not really! That said, here's a list:

("Not really," I said in my foolishness. List and remaining answer below the cut.)

The HarperCollins study bible, New Revised Standard Version, fully revised and updated, including apocryphal deuterocanonical books, with concordance. Paperback, still somehow the heaviest book I own. Used to be my mom's. Affectionately referred to as the Holy Brick

The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, college edition. Printed in 1962, came into my possession because one of my mom's friends was clearing out their office. Very seldom taken off the shelf

(Side note: I need to get a physical Bible I can actually carry around with me at some point, but I haven't done that yet)

The Book of Common Prayer (Episcopal prayer book containing various prayers and liturgical instructions), 1979 edition

My baptismal certificate, a ceremonial candle I was given on that occasion, and a copy of the bulletin from the service at which I was baptized (Easter vigil 2022)

The tiny metal cross necklace I received as a baptism present from my baptismal sponsor (basically my godmother, but we don't call her that because I was baptized as an adult), which I wore almost every day until the chain broke in a tragic hairbrushing accident a few months ago

A larger metal cross charm with wings emerging from it, which I purchased as part of a beaded necklace from a street vendor--the necklace unfortunately did not last, but I'm still attempting to find a chain for the charm that will actually hold up, because that charm is awesome

A prayer shawl knitted and blessed for healing by members of the healing prayer ministry at my Episcopal church, which lives on my bed as part of my blankets and which I have been known to wrap around my head during migraines

A slip of paper bearing Psalm 138:3, which in the selected translation (the paper doesn't specify, and I haven't been able to track it down in cursory investigation) reads "When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage." Offered to me by the aforementioned healing prayer ministry on a day shortly after I began working as a caregiver when I desperately needed it and now lives in my wallet at all times

A pocket icon of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Given to me by @dragonsthough101, who is not Christian but found it in a shop somewhere and thought I would like it

A small blue plastic and fabric folding thing that snaps closed and contains various Catholic imagery (mostly Marian, some crucified Jesus and sacred heart, a short prayer in Spanish, and a tiny medal that's honestly too small for me to identify who or what it depicts). Given to me by my sister, who is not Christian but found it in a shop somewhere and thought I would like it

The Moth of the Holy Spirit, a plushie moth purchased for me by @annamariehamilton-unofficial to celebrate my first public act of prophetic prayer (long story, makes more sense in context)

Yeah. That's more than I thought lol. And it's not even counting religious books that are not in and of themselves sacred or liturgical. Oops.

8. Wow, that's difficult! There are so many passages from Scripture that mean so much to me, but right now, I'm gonna have to go with Psalm 139. Particularly verses 7-10: "Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (NIV)

Thank you again for the asks, friend! Anyone who's still reading this, feel free to send me asks yourself, from this list or just if you have any questions about any of this! You're also welcome to message me if you'd like to talk at greater length! Have a lovely day!

[thepascalofus]

Supply Run - Return (Part Two) SNEAK PEAK

A/N: Hey everyone! I want to thank you all so so so much for the responses on the first part of this miniseries (maybe it’ll be longer? not sure). Many of you have expressed reasonable impatience for the second chapter (don’t worry, I’ve been there), so I thought I would provide y’all with a sneak peak! I’m posting this from my phone so I apologize if the formatting is weird. Part two is currently in progress, so enjoy!

The helmet covering his head swiveled from left to right and right to left. No one matched the description of his quarry. Repeating his previous process, he made his way down the stall-lined alley and asked a couple different vendors.

Once the last vendor finished talking, and provided him with another lead, he dug his hand into his pocket and slid the credits on the stall’s counter towards them. Turning his back towards the vendor, his feet carried him two steps back into the market.

Then he saw you.

You stood hunched over a table of colorful bracelets. Tapping his fingers to the temple of his helmet, Mando zoomed in and the helmet displayed your face to him, deep in thought. Looking down, you were hovering your hands over a grid of various green bracelets.

You stopped on one. Mostly brown, almost too much to be in the green section, Mando thought. Nonetheless, the green and silver streaks peeked in and out of the thick threads of brown that made up the bracelet. Your fingers sorted through the sizes of the bracelet and selected one that looked close to your size.

Clutching it in one hand, the other hand searched for another of the same bracelet. It was larger than the previous size. You set the smaller bracelet down and tested the strings. The bracelet was adjustable, and you smiled at the discovery.

You transferred the bracelets into one hand and used the other to dig into your pockets. Palm held out flat, Mando guessed that about twenty credits sat in your palm. He followed your gaze to the sign listing the prices.

PRICES

1 bracelet = 15 credits

2 = 30 credits

3 = 45 credits

4 = 60 credits

Shoulders falling, you dropped the credits back into your pocket and returned the bracelets to their original spot in the grid of green. Ground crunched beneath your shoes as you turned and continued wandering through the market.

Mando noted it was the third stall to the left of the bright green stall on the left side of the alley.